I have a house WITH A GARAGE now! I am so excited. It even has lots of shelves and cabinets already there. Very nice. Now here is my question: What can I store safely in the garage? I am thinking specifically of keepsakes (old memories from when I was a child, my children were younger, etc.), photos, video tapes, etc. Will they be safe out in the garage? Or will it get to hot/cold, moist, etc.? I would really hate for those things to get ruined, but there is no good place in the house to store them conveniently.
The specifics of the garage (in case it matters) are 2 car, one door. Two of the sides are attached to the house 3/4 of the way down the wall. It is facing Southwest. The walls are covered in paneling (don't know about insulation).
I kno ppl who leave things in the garage i wont put anything on or new the floor for the fact you never know if it will flood. i dont think it would be to bad if its up some what high. i would put anything in the basement for the fact it could flood as well.. and thats my fear with all the rain some areas get flooding has been an issue.. if you do deside to use it for storage make sure its in a good bin with a lid just incase good luck
What I have found that I have had to deal with as far as keepsakes (those boxes of picture and papers from school days) that were stored in the garage were MICE!! They love the paper to make their nests...and even those plastic boxes don't keep them away. Could you talk to you neighbors...find out if there is an issue with humidity or unwanted critters in the neighborhood? That is the only real suggestion I would have for you.
I wouldn't store anything out in the garage like photos or paper. They can get moldy over time or start to stick together due to the moisture in the air in the summer. I know, I have done it. If you put them in a plastic box with a lid that may help. I think temperature control in the house is best, but I recognize your dilema of no space.
For the things that could potentially mold (soft things, paper etc) I would put in air tight bags to be safe. You can use Ziploc bags, but they have the air tight ones that cost a little more, but if they are your keepsakes you can never be too safe.
Actual photos should be fine but any kind of cd or dvd/video could be ruined by temperature changes. I had stuff on my indoor back porch. It never gets as cold out there as outside but a couple of photo cds are messed up because of the temp changes. I cannot pull some pictures.
IF you Do store them in garage you will have to put them in plastic bins with a tight lid.
